Health officials urge caution around bats after rabies found in West Michigan
A bat has tested positive for rabies in West Michigan's Kent County, with local health officials urging people to be on the lookout for the animals attempting to enter homes this time of year.
"During the fall, bats start looking for safe places to roost for the winter, which can sometimes lead them into homes or businesses," Cathy Armstrong, Communicable Disease Program Supervisor with the Kent County Health Department in Grand Rapids, said in a press release issued Thursday.
There have been 32 cases of rabies-positive animals in Michigan so far in 2025, including incidents among bats in Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, state officials report.
Rabies is a deadly, but preventable disease, that can spread to people and pets through the bite or a scratch from an infected animal, the Kent County Health Department and Kent County Animal Shelter staff said. If it is unknown whether a person or a pet had direct contact with a possibly infected bat, testing the bat is necessary to rule out the possibility of rabies exposure.
In the meantime, people should never touch or handle bats or other wild animals, or keep them as pets.
People also are urged to secure homes and apartments to prevent bats and other wildlife from entering places where people live.
"Even indoor cats and dogs can be at risk if a bat enters the home," said Angela Hollinshead, Director of Kent County Animal Shelter. "Keeping pets current on rabies vaccinations is the simplest and most effective way to protect them and the whole household."